Monday, February 11, 2013

Liquor firms' input spurnedThe liquor industry must be shut out of alcohol policy-making and implementation, to prevent manufacturers from undermining efforts to reduce the harms of alcohol, says an international grouping of public health specialists.

The Global Alcohol Policy Alliance will today issue a "statement of concern" on the role of the industry and its attempts to implement the World Health Organisation's global strategy on alcohol.

The statement is partly a critique of promises last October - in response to the strategy - by 13 global alcohol producers, including some with links to New Zealand, such as Carlsberg, Heineken, Diageo and the Brewers Association of Japan. Steinlager brewer Lion is owned by Japanese beer company Kirin.

One of the 16 authors of the statement, Professor Sally Casswell of Massey University at Auckland, said the thrust was that the global industry commitments were "all whitewash".

"They are trying to put themselves in a position of playing a partnership role with governments but they have to be seen as consistently opposing effective measures."

The dirty filthy booze barons have no role to play in setting the social policy for alcohol, asking their input is like checking with the fox what gate should be put on the chicken farm. They have done evrything to buy this Government and put them into their pocket...

Liquor companies bombarded ministerLiquor companies lobbied the Government furiously in the weeks before a reform package was announced. They pressed Justice Minister Simon Power with claims he was being served up biased and flawed recommendations by the Law Commission. Documents obtained under the Official Information Act show a procession of companies and industry groups wrote directly to Mr Power, but he insists they had no influence over his recommendations to the Cabinet.

This Government has utterly failed NZ over alcohol reform by doing nothing at all to prevent the social harm it creates or reign in the power of the booze industry.

The National Government spent so much political capital building the myth of the politically correct nanny state that they are now too terrified to implement any social policy for fear of awakening their favourite bogeyman in the minds of sleepy hobbits who will rear up on their hind legs at socialist social policy limiting their 'freedoms'.

What I particularly love is the mouthpiece for the industry having this to say...

Lion's external relations director, Liz Read, said: "It's disappointing that some public health professionals don't see the industry having a role in helping New Zealanders to make better choices and understand the benefits of drinking responsibly.

"I think that's counter-intuitive to what the public would expect of public health specialists. All the research we've done with consumers says they believe alcohol manufacturers and retailers have a role to play."

...how did Liz Read keep a straight face when she said that? You're disappointed are you Liz? You're shocked and surprised that health professionals fighting the impact of your product see that you have no role whatsoever in creating the regulations around your product and you are basing this surprise on your bullshit self-interested research which tells you that your alcoholic customers want you to have a role to play in making booze as readily available as water?

1 Comments:

It should be clear, by now, who THIS National Government serves, where their interests lies, and what's ahead. Nothing this government does is benign. It's all about money for them and their corporate crony mates. This should come as no surprise: the National Party leader and our country's Dear Leader is an ex-Merrill Lynch bankster.